Two stanzas of this popular rhyme (as marked)
are attributed to Robert Southey (1774-1843): Southey, English poet
and historian, became poet laureate in 1813. He wrote prose (history,
biography) and long epic poems, but is more popularly
remembered for his short poems, ie. "The Battle of Blenheim," and "Inchcape
Rock." Many academics, however, agree with Lord Byron, who was one
of the sharpest critics of Southey's poetry, that "Southey's prose is perfect."
Among these works are the Common-Place Book, The Doctor,
collected Letters, and biographies of Cowper, Wesley, and Nelson.

Although the rhyme below cannot be absolutely
verified as being by Southey, it is generally thought to be by him and
dated
at about 1820. It was included in Burton Stevenson's Dictionary
of Proverbs with the title "What all the world is made of." (It
is sometimes seen as "What Folks are Made of...." It's omission
in his collected works and in his comments on nursery rhymes in
The Doctor do not necessarily preclude his authorship of the
verse. He may well have considered it a "throw-away" ditty.
After all, he wrote an enormous amount--his collected verses, with
explanatory notes, fill ten volumes, and his prose occupies
forty. The ditty is certainly in keeping with the light-handed
touch of other pieces of his such as "Ode to a Pig while his Nose
was being Bored," and "To a Goose," neither of which drifted into Mother
Goose territory.

"What are...made of..." was a favorite of Henry W. Longfellow's, who
recited it frequently.A version of "What are little boys made of" appeared
in Halliwell's 1842 collection. In the familiar folk tradition, the
popular ditty inevitably acquired additional verses, written by authors
unknown, until it became a ballad of some length.

What are little
babies made of, made of?
What are little
babies made of?
Diapers and crumbs and sucking their thumbs;
That's what
little babies are made of?

What are little
boys made of, made of?
(1. R.S.)
What are little
boys made of?
Snips and snails and puppy-dog tails;
That's what
little boys are made of.
And such are...

What are little
girls made of, made of?
What are little
girls made of?
Sugar and spice and everything nice;
That's what
little girls are made of.

What are young
men made of, made of?
What are young
men made of?
Sighs and leers and crocodile tears;
That's what
young men are made of.

What are young
women made of, made of?
(2. R. S.)
What are young
women made of?
Rings and jings and other fine things;
Sugar and spice and all things nice;
That's what
young women are made of.
And such are...

What are our
sailors made of, made of?
What are our
sailors made of?
Pitch and tar, pig-tail and scar;
That's what
our sailors are made of.

What are our
soldiers made of, made of?
What are our
soldiers made of?
Pipeclay and drill, the foeman to kill;
That's what
our soldiers are made of.

What are our
nurses made of, made of?
What are our
nurses made of?
Bushes and thorns and old cow's horns;
That's what
our nurses are made of.

What are our
fathers made of, made of?
What are our
fathers made of?
Pipes and smoke and collars choke;
That's what
our fathers are made of.

What are our
mothers made of, made of?
What are our
mothers made of?
Ribbons and laces and sweet pretty faces;
That's what
our mothers are made of.

What are old
men made of, made of?
What are old
men made of?
Slippers that flop and a bald-headed top;
That's what
old men are made of.

What are old
women made of, made of?
What are old
women made of?
Reels, and jeels, and old spinning wheels;
That's what
old women are made of?

What are all
folks made of, made of?
What are all
folks made of?
Fighting a spot and loving a lot,
That's what
all folks are made of.